Monday, July 12, 2010

The Outrageous Offer

If you follow my tweets from Twitter, you know I'm a fan of bestselling author, Harvey Mackay. I met him several years ago when he spoke at a Mark Victor Hansen Mega Book Marketing University in Los Angeles. I subscribe to his column online but I also read it each Monday in the Arizona Republic, my local newspaper.

I found today's column, 'Outrageous' has instant advertising potential to be fascinating. Are you dissatisfied with the results of your advertising or promotion efforts? Mackay quotes Bill Glazer saying, 99% of small business owners are dissatisfied with the results from their advertising. Glazer wrote a book called Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful. If you click this link, you can get the book for $4.95. BTW, notice the simple website where they are selling this book: billsnewbook.com. The site is at the end of Harvey Mackay's syndicated column which is in business sections around the country.

When I read this article and looked at the book website, I understood that I could learn something from this book and the extra bonuses. I took action and purchased the book. I will receive it and plan to read it and take action on the information that I learn from it.

Why would they make such a great offer? As I purchased the book, I found out and Bill Glazer is quite explicit about it in the materials. One of the bonuses is a free month trial in their $59.95 a month Glazer-Kennedy Insider Circle Gold Membership. If I don't cancel within the first month, then this amount will be automatically deducted from my credit card each month. Through the offer they are counting on a certain percentage of people who will continue with this membership. I will consider it but I strongly doubt that I will be staying as a Gold Member. Yet their offer has tremendous value and I believe I can learn something from the book and other materials.

I wanted to tell you about this experience for several reasons.

First, I'm constantly learning new techniques and information about how to become a better communicator / writer. I'm determined to continue growing in my craft and ability to reach the marketplace. I take action when I see these types of offers because I can learn something. Also I'm actively working on the new material which I will be teaching in Oregon and Philadelphia next month. I've gained some new insights which I will be passing on to the people in my sessions (maybe you? I hope so).

Second, I wanted to point out the necessity of taking action and moving forward. Not everything I try works but at least I am actively looking. When I meet with writers and even long-term professionals at conferences, often they are quick to confide in me about the lack of sales or the decline in the market and the demise of a number of well-known publications. Yes, those things are happening in the marketplace--but do not get mired in those conversations!

I encourage you to press forward. You are looking for the open doors of opportunities. It make mean you have to make some outrageous offers and create some new products for the marketplace.